Health in Peru
Individuals, families and communities experience better health through informed health practices, accessing quality health care and strengthened local healthcare facilities.
Through its Healthy Municipalities Programme, Suyana promotes preventive healthcare to reduce childhood malnutrition and anaemia, while providing basic medical and oral health services—including preventive treatments to achieve “Zero Cavities” among students. In collaboration with local authorities, we strengthen public healthcare by training professionals and equipping facilities, ensuring that quality services reach even the most remote areas.
Key Initiatives
Addressing Malnutrition
Health and Nutrition Programmes
The programme strengthens child health and nutrition through a set of complementary interventions. Regular anthropometric assessments of children’s height and weight are conducted to monitor growth and detect malnutrition at an early stage. Bio gardens serve as practical learning spaces, educating students on nutritious food and sustainable agriculture while providing fresh produce for school meals. Educational resources further promote healthy eating habits, and school feeding initiatives ensure that children receive nourishing meals that support both their health and academic performance. Beyond the classroom, workshops for families and communities raise awareness on nutrition and hygiene best practices, reinforcing healthier lifestyles at the household level.
Water Resource Management
In parallel, the programme promotes safe water consumption and effective management of water resources, ensuring better health and hygiene for students and their communities.
What we do in practice:
- Conduct regular anthropometric assessments to monitor growth and detect malnutrition early
- Establish bio gardens to provide fresh produce and teach sustainable food practices
- Develop educational resources to promote healthy eating in schools
- Support school feeding initiatives to ensure children receive nourishing meals
- Organise community workshops on nutrition and hygiene best practices
- Promote safe water consumption and effective water resource management
Promoting Dental Health & Zero Cavities
Comprehensive Dental Care Initiatives
Through fully equipped mobile units, Suyana’s medical teams deliver preventive and restorative dental care to remote communities with limited access to oral health services. The approach combines early prevention with essential treatments and specialised support, ensuring long-term improvements in oral health.
The programme provides regular dental check-ups, fluoride applications, sealants, and restorative treatments to prevent and address common conditions such as cavities and gum disease. A highlight is the Zero Cavities Programme, a child-focused initiative that promotes oral hygiene in an engaging way, encourages healthy habits, and rewards children who maintain cavity-free teeth.
Education & Community Awareness
Schools play a central role in prevention, with workshops teaching children and teachers proper brushing techniques, oral hygiene routines, and the importance of nutrition for strong teeth. To extend these practices into the home, toothbrushes and toothpaste are distributed to children and families. Community engagement is reinforced through awareness campaigns in local languages, encouraging early prevention and regular dental check-ups.
Capacity Building & Sustainability
To secure lasting impact, the programme strengthens local capacities by training dental professionals through workshops and refresher courses, while also equipping local health facilities with modern tools. Close collaboration with local authorities integrates dental care into broader public health strategies, ensuring sustainability. In addition, patients with complex cases are referred to specialised dental hospitals through formal cooperation agreements.
What we do in practice:
- Deliver preventive and restorative dental care through mobile dental units
- Provide regular check-ups, fluoride applications, sealants, and restorative treatments
- Run the Zero Cavities Programme to promote engaging oral hygiene practices among children
- Organise school workshops encouraging good oral hygiene practices at school and at home
- Conduct community awareness campaigns in local languages on prevention and regular dental check-ups
- Train and support local dental professionals, strengthen health facilities, and collaborate with authorities to integrate dental health into public health strategies
- Refer patients with complex cases to specialised dental hospitals through formal cooperation agreements
Preventing & Fighting Anaemia
Anaemia Intervention Programs
The programme addresses anaemia through a combination of education, prevention, and treatment. Children and families learn how to prevent anaemia and, where needed, receive iron supplementation to support healthy development. Regular health screenings allow for early detection and timely treatment of cases. In addition, practical cooking demonstrations show how to prepare iron-rich meals, empowering households to improve nutrition in sustainable ways.
What we do in practice:
- Provide education on anaemia prevention to children and families
- Distribute iron supplements where needed
- Conduct regular screenings to detect and treat anaemia early
- Demonstrate the preparation of iron-rich meals to promote healthy nutrition at home
Strengthening Healthcare Systems
Bringing Essential Medical Care to Remote Communities
The programme delivers comprehensive healthcare to underserved communities through mobile medical teams that provide check-ups, screenings, and basic treatments, addressing prevalent health concerns in remote areas. Preventive healthcare and education are central, with sessions on hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention that empower families and communities to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Sustainability is strengthened through collaboration with local health systems: training and knowledge-sharing with official health representatives build their capacity to deliver continuous care and improve service quality. In addition, regular assessments and data monitoring contribute to national health strategies, supporting evidence-based decision-making and long-term improvements in public health.
What we do in practice:
- Deliver general medical check-ups, screenings, and basic treatments in remote areas
- Promote preventive healthcare through education on hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention
- Train and support local health representatives to strengthen service quality and ensure continuity of care
- Collect data and conduct regular assessments to inform national health strategies and public policies
Deworming for Better Health
Protecting Children from Parasitic Infections
In remote Andean villages, intestinal parasites remain a major health challenge, undermining children’s nutrition, growth, and development. Poor hygiene and contaminated water often lead to infections that cause diarrhoea, malnutrition, and anaemia, hindering both physical and cognitive progress. The programme tackles parasitic infections through early detection and treatment: in coordination with local health facilities, children’s stool samples are analysed to identify cases requiring medical attention. Thousands of children receive routine deworming medication, improving nutrient absorption and supporting healthy growth and development.
What we do in practice:
- Conduct stool sample screenings with local health facilities to detect parasitic infections
- Provide routine deworming medication to thousands of children
- Monitor growth and nutritional outcomes after treatment
- Promote hygiene and safe water practices to prevent reinfection
Safeguarding Livelihoods Through Animal Deworming
Farm and domestic animals play a vital role in rural livelihoods, providing milk, meat, and wool. Yet parasites in livestock and pets can spread to humans, causing illness and financial loss. The programme extends parasite control to dogs and cats—often overlooked in prevention—reducing transmission between animals and humans. Families are actively engaged through awareness sessions on animal health and parasite prevention, ensuring lasting behavioural change at community level.
Sustainability is reinforced through partnerships with municipal authorities, who are encouraged to integrate pet deworming into livestock health programmes. To ensure effectiveness, each animal is carefully weighed and treated with the correct dose of broad-spectrum antiparasitic medication.
What we do in practice:
- Carry out deworming campaigns for dogs, cats, and livestock to reduce parasite transmission
- Engage families through training on animal health and parasite prevention
- Partner with municipal authorities to embed pet deworming into livestock health strategies
- Provide targeted treatment by weighing each animal and administering the correct dosage
By combining medical treatment with prevention and education, Suyana ensures healthier communities and more resilient livelihoods in rural Peru.
Join us in transforming the lives of Peru’s remote highland communities.